Source: VOA News
http://www.voanews.com/english/2007-07-30-voa29.cfm
Keith Ellison comes from most diverse district in Minnesota, and he advised the Muslim women to be inclusive in their pursuit of public office. "Do not go to the Muslim community and tell them I am Muslim, vote for me. Do not do that. Figure out what the people need and speak to that and make sure to be universal enough to also appeal to the Christian community, to the Jewish community, to the Arab, non-Arab, Asian, non-Asian, to the African, and non-African. Make sure it is universal."
Ellison won his seat in Congress last year. And as a former community activist, he sought to inspire the women with a message. "That civic engagement is very important, that the voices from the communities are indispensable to democracy, that their voices are important, that they should help inspire and make a way for other people to get out there and say what they think should be the policy of the state. And that there is a lot to be offered in peace, justice, environmental policy, health care and certainly women's issues are very important for all of us to be concerned about."
The Muslim women taking part in the summer program come from the U.S, Canada, Belgium, Holland, the Philippines, Senegal, Syria and Saudi Arabia. Ellison urged them to draw from the lessons and teachings of Islam about working out differences and bridging gaps of race, gender and class.